During #inktober I created my first bell pepper allergy illustration. I then saved this on my phone to show when ordering food in restaurants.Watercolour painted peppers added to the original many language background

Now don’t get me wrong it’s not that I don’t like peppers. I find them deliciously tasty, but it took some years to pinpoint that being doubled over with severe stomach cramps, hot and cold sweats, three days when I couldn’t get out of bed, diahorrea until my system was empty, was due to eating bell peppers.

Bell Pepper Allergy and Intolerance Symptoms – Found through research.

Give me a chilli and I’m happy and fine, but a fragment of bell pepper or a pinch of paprika and I loose the next few hours at least. Until my body has painfully fought the peppers and kicked them back out of my system.

It was suggested to me by a GP that it may be IBS, which is why I believe some people could be thinking and dealing with what they believe is IBS when they might just need to drop peppers from their diet.

Heatpressing hand painted peppers

Machine rendering after hand sewing

Now peppers are very nutritious for some people, but they can be anaphylaxic for some. However they are almost never listed on food menus and food packaging as allergens. Often they’re not written on food menus, despite them being part of the dish. Due to their colourfulness peppers are often used in ‘food on the go’ meals such as salads. Really helpfully they’re often finely chopped and written in minuscule font on the ingredients list on packaging.

So I just want to make people, you even, more aware of the possible reactions and physical responses to peppers. Maybe this work can take away someone’s pain or discomfort.

So I’m asking people to think before they eat and serve bell peppers and paprika, I’m asking food retailers to think before they add bell peppers and paprika and to make it as an allergen, and for restaurants to always state where bell peppers and paprika have been used in their dishes. And please use a different chopping board for peppers.

Thank you for reading to the end. Next time you eat peppers just observe in the time afterwards how you feel. If you have any of the symptoms listed in this article you might want to see if the symptoms clear up or cease.

Eat happy, be happy, consider pushing aside the peppers.

Free Download – I’ve created an illustrated download for those with Bell Pepper allergies and intolerances. This is for use in restaurants, hotels at home and abroad. Please feel free to print and/or share this with someone that it may help, and to raise awareness of this food allergy. Card size set to 9 x 13cm.

Related work: Work that relates to the techniques is at the following links. I often find that the work is stepping stones to the next creation, like a bright creative path where the next step is revealed upon completion of the present one. These creative projects led to this work.

Celebrating 3 years: It’s now three years since I began focussing on art and making. After injuring my knee I decided to follow my heart and felt a need to let out the colour and creative potential that I instinctively knew was within me.

Switching to a less commercial line of work has not been easy and has taken courage and conviction, but as I continue to explore and my work evolves I’m keen to see what I’ll be creating next.

The highlights of the past three years have been two Art and Design year long course Distinctions, a solo art exhibition, and being commissioned by customers to create bespoke artworks and gifts.

Collage of my favourite 9 from the past 3 years…

Latest work: My latest creation is an embroidered work for a dear friend, inspired by an image. I felt real flow in this work and felt guided in creating it by some artistic wisdom that joined me while I hand and machine appliquéd and stitched.

Image of Pippin and image of the work.

The picture that the textile portrait is based on. The colourful textile portrait on repurposed cross stitch fabric that I have dyed created using appliqué including felt I have made with iridescent fabric that was formerly a curtain in my Sheffield studio, machine embroidery, free motion embroidery and hand stitching.

Workshop Development: Exciting news is that I’m developing a heat press workshop. This will given people the opportunities to develop a design and print it onto fabric in just 2 hours. Watch this space for news and dates. if you’re not signed up to receive Inspire news then you can do so by typing your email address into the box above.

My favourite pieces created in fabrics dyes using the Heat Press

Work in progress: Miniature plants need a miniature place to grow so I’ve been building a greenhouse in Fab lolly sticks with a Magnum stick for decoration. I’ve also tried a more rustic ones from twigs pruned from my Japanese Acer. Need to eat a fab lolly or two more to be able to complete the roof structure. I’m considering whether to plant miniature climbing plants with the rustic greenhouse to encourage them to grown up and within it.

Greenhouse picture 1 &2

Ceramics: I’m exploring ceramics, its not an area I’ve studied before so I’m learning hand building techniques. More on that when the pieces have been fired.

Sneak peek at two of my biscuit fired pieces

Commission Time: Christmas is coming and its traditionally a time for commissioned artworks for loved ones, providing a bespoke gift made for them. My deadline this year for commission requests, to be ready in time for Christmas is 31st October. Please email me and I’ll help determine all that’s needed to begin the creation of your unique artwork.

Thanks for the support in the past three years and here’s to the future. To creativity, and beyond!

October is #Inktober: I’m taking the #Inktober challenge again this year. My intention is to try to illustrate the prompt words simply and clearly. You can see my ink creations in my Instagram ‘stories’.

I had an idea to make a cheese plant, this was inspired by seeing the cheese plant when doing Yoga With Adriene. I didn’t want a cheese plant that would grow too big or might result in soil spilling onto the carpet, so decided that a mini one would be ideal.

My favourite fabric at present is satin, I love how the light catches it and used it recently for the Bird and Flowers Cushion. The cushion featured leaves and so I can recognise the idea flow through these projects.

The Bird and Flowers Cushion

Following this commission project I made a bookmark, a pretty lady emerged, and then an eye mask.

As a small sofa-friendly project over the easter weekend I decided to embark on a small embroidered portrait of the little dog that spends some days with me.

I found a high res picture that really showed the detail, and began first to represent the darkest areas gradually and carefully colour matching the different tones with embroidery silks, and representing the different textures. I took a drawing in silks approach, using drawing techniques that I use in life drawings.

I was pleased with how the embroidery began to take on his likeness and reflect some of his character. I added a paw print, from a picture I captured of it whilst walking during a snowfall.As I liked how the portrait looked in the embroidery hoop I decided to turn that into the frame, giving it a collar effect using a football boot lace (ssshh!)

The little dog is a lhasa apso with a lovely coat and sooo cute. He’s a great little guy who it is fun company.

The little dog’s owner was really pleased with the picture and how it captured the detail of his face and coat.

This is not the first cute dog that I have had the pleasure of capturing in art, I previously used acrylic paint to illustrate a children’s book about a white dog called Sam who wanted to fly.

Its been a pleasure to share this story and its fab to have you here, please share my site with friends who’ll enjoy it x

I write my blog as story by story I’m logging my creative journey and writing my book. If you’d like to read the chapters as they are created you can follow this blog. It’s presently a small and select group but it would’ve lovely to have you join us. 😊

It’s the first time I’ve taken on the #Inktober challenge to create 1 ink drawing a day for 31 days. Here are my first week creations…

Excited for a new challenge…Day 1: Prompt Word ‘Swift’ made me think of skiingDay 2: Prompt word ‘Divide’After the darkness of the last I had to add some peace and colourDay 3: Prompt word ‘Poison’ – guns are the modern day Poison that are screwing up societyAfter the gun I had to lighten my mood with a message of PeaceDay 4: I was relieved for the prompt word of ‘Underwater’ – more my usual territoryDay 5: The prompt word ‘Long’ made me think of my four legged friend, so I did three quick sketchesDay 6: Prompt word ‘Sword’ made me consider what my sword would be…Game of Thtones inspired – Sword of Resilience for cutting through the crap life can throw at us.Day 7: Prompt word ‘Shy’ made me think of coconuts. This blushing coconut reflects on his fall injury.Materials used: Ink, Bic Biro, Inktense Pencils, Berol Broadmarker and Metallic Inks.

Art for the heart: Count your blessings. I digitally overlaid this lino print onto a bright bubbly surface that I created digitally from one of my images. The woman is looking out hopeful to meet her love, and the man looks ahead hoping, the third series of cuts brings them together.

This was the only sculpture with colour but it was just my colours. I framed the shot for the wings to be cradling the moon as the early evening came.

I had a play with hand written lettering taking it digital as practice for the Illustration course I am studying. I overlaid the hand lettering in inverted colours over a watercolour sample to illustration three words, Freedom, Flow and Fun.

As exercises for the illustration course I have been working on illustration written articles. The first was a study that found that young children learn language more from speaking than writing practice.

Life Coach Elaine Mitchell asked me for an artwork for two Empowered Woman events for International Women’s Day. I’ll be speaking about my journey and exhibiting original artworks for, prints and exciting new products for sale, at the event on 8th March.

Here’s the story of development of the artwork, as drafted for Elaine’s blog…

I was delighted that Elaine asked me to create an artwork for her two International Women’s Day events on March 7th and 8th 2017 at Hotel Van Dyk.

I’m a Sheffield based artist and illustrator with the brand of Inspire by Kim. After a successful career, in travel industry public relations, blowing my knee was the impetus to become a full-time artist. Now creating art and illustration for myself, and my wonderful customers, is the good that came out of major injury.

Elaine’s brief to create a dynamic brand image, demonstrating empowerment, authenticity, strength, warmth, flow and generosity is inline with psyche of the female characters that I create. My characters are their authentic selves and thrive by living this way. The ‘Wonderful Women’ in my Portfolio demonstrate this theme, such as my ‘Leaves Lady’, which I used to promote my April 2016 exhibition.

After giving a lot of thought to Elaine’s brief I sketched a number of concepts. I wanted the piece to have a lot of energy, demonstrated by colour, and to symbolise positivity ahead. I developed ideas using markers, Lino cutting, inks and a great Sheffield made colour crystal product called Brusho.

A riot of sunlit colour. Copyright Kim

Elaine loved the a number of the artworks but was keen to change the background colour. The chosen artwork was the colourful figure striding forwards, as her fabulous self, towards a shining future.

Fabulous bold and striking Brusho woman before drying. Copyright Kim.

I replaced the background with Elaine’s signature green, as used on her website and book cover. I left enough space alongside the figure for Elaine to add information about the wonderful events in March.

Spectra Electra – Elaine asked for a name for the woman, Spectra then Electra popped into my head.

It’s great working which Elaine as she’s so bubbly, positive and fun. I’m delighted that Elaine has asked me to speak about my journey and exhibit at the Empowered Woman Celebration on 8th March at the Hotel Van Dyk.

All the best to Elaine for great events, I’m looking forward to them. For more information on the two events head across to Elaine’s website. To buy tickets for the 8th March event click here.

I’ll be offering original artworks, prints and exciting new products for sale at the event on 8th March.